The 12 Modern Lamps of Christmas: Day 1

In your search for unique gift ideas this holiday season, there’s a good chance lighting isn’t on most people’s lists. But for modern gift lovers, there are lots of portable lighting options that make great gifts for both their aesthetic and functionality.

In your search for unique holiday gift ideas this season, there’s a good chance lighting isn’t on most people’s lists. But for modern gift lovers, there are lots of portable lighting options that make great gifts for both their aesthetic and functionality. There are so many styles out there that it’s easy to find one for even the hard-to-shop-for folks in your life.

And so, welcome to the 12 Lamps of Christmas. I found so many gift-worthy lamps at Lumens.com that it was actually kind of hard to narrow my list down to just twelve. But, hey, gotta stick with the theme I started. So each day, starting today and for the following 11, I’m going to list one of my favorite 12 lamps for gift-giving.

As hard as it was to limit my list, it’s just about impossible to rank them. I love all these lamps pretty much equally, just in different ways. What all of these lamps have in common is that they are fun (in my humble opinion), portable and (mostly) under $200, perfect for giving the gift of light this holiday season…and year-round.

And so, in no particular order…

1. Take Table Lamp by Kartell
What first really caught my eye with this one was its sparkle and selection of monochromatic, jewel-like colors. Then, after learning it’s actually made out of polycarbonate to reinterpret the image of a classic bedside lamp, I was totally sold.

It’s no real surprise that Take was designed by Ferruccio Laviani, an Italian designer known for his experimentation with color and form. Look closely and you’ll see that the singular form is actually composed of two symmetrical parts–basically two half-lamps–joined together. And that dazzling sparkle I love so much is the result of pleating on the shade’s interior.

At less than a foot tall, this little guy makes the perfect gift for accenting and illuminating any small bedside table or work area. College students and apartment dwellers in particular will love getting the Take Table Lamp.